2022 Virtual Conference Agenda

When you think about diversity and inclusion, you might think about racial or gender representation. But there are 1.3 billion people worldwide who make up another distinct group: People with disabilities. This group is the missing piece in the global conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Investors and shareholders increasingly view disability inclusion as a vital component of the “S” in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing.

Businesses can and should be a force for good and achieving that requires putting all of your employees, customers, suppliers and community first. To make progress, companies need to treat it as a business priority with goals, plans, measurement, and accountability.

Hosted by: Accenture

Location: Lone Star Ballroom

Remarks:

• Brian R. Horn, Chief Operating Officer at Disability:IN
• Jill Houghton, President & CEO at Disability:IN
• Chad Jerdee, Board Chair at Disability:IN and Retired General Counsel at Accenture

Moderator:

• Diane Brady, Assistant Managing Editor at Forbes

Panelists:

• Nedra Dickson, Managing Director, Global Supplier Inclusion & Diversity Lead at Accenture
• Angela Harrell, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Corporate Impact Officer; President, Voya Foundation at Voya Financial
• Ted Kennedy, Jr., Partner at Epstein Becker Green, Co-Chair of the Disability Equality Index (DEI), and Board Member at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
• Ebony Thomas, President, Bank of America Foundation at Bank of America

Fireside Chat:

• Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft
• Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-Winning Actress

Just starting your accessibility journey? Have budget approval and executive buy-in and figuring out what’s next? This session will share best practices for building, advancing, and sustaining a digital accessibility framework that delivers results across the organization. Topics include: roles and cross-functional teams (including HR, procurement, communications and more), Chief Accessibility Officer and other leadership models; initial and sustained buy-in; accountability, maturity models, policies, and standards, learning and development, testing, growing and advancing disability leadership, budgeting issues.

View Recorded Session

Hosted by: Ally Financial

Location: Dallas A
Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the components of a digital accessibility framework and how to implement, sustain and grow them
2. Understand the importance of disability leadership in all phases of the digital accessibility framework
3. Recognize advantages and pitfalls of accessibility maturity models

Moderator:

• Sabrena Foxx, Senior Director of Enterprise Accessibility at Ally Financial

Panelists:

• Kristen Christensen, Digital Experience Studio Director at Accenture
• Paul Gallagher, Global Digital Accessibility Lead at Procter & Gamble
• Meg Grow, Senior Consultant, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Boston Scientific

Accessibility: The Key to Unlocking INnovation
Hosted by: Microsoft

With more than 1 billion people with disabilities in the world, come experience “Show and Tell” on some of the latest accessibility innovations.

Remarks:

• Philip DeVliegher, Vice President, Supplier Diversity at Disability:IN
• Solomon Romney, Accessibility Program Manager at Microsoft
• Jeff Wissel, Chief Accessibility Officer at Disability:IN

Panelists:

• Victor Calise, Director, Global Culture, Equity and Inclusion for the Accessibility Center of Excellence at Walmart
• Monica Goel, Executive Director, CVS Health Accessibility at CVS Health
• Catherine Nichols, Vice President, Office of Accessibility at Salesforce
• Navin Thadani, CEO & Co-Founder at Evinced

Disability-Owned Business Pitch Perfect Challenge

Disability-Owned Business Pitch Perfect Challenge hosted by: MassMutual

Certified Disability-Owned Businesses will pitch corporate leaders with innovative products and services.

Pitch Emcee:

• Regina Heyward, Head of Supplier Diversity at Mass Mutual

Pitch Judges:

• Christopher McKelvy, General Partner, K. Ventures
• Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft
• Raul Suarez-Rodriguez, Director, Economic Inclusion & Supplier Diversity at Merck

Location: Lone Star Ballroom

Four Inclusion Works participating companies in different stages of their self-id journeys, will share how their companies organized their self-identification strategies, their successes, and the hurdles they experienced. If available, they will also share self-id outcomes.

Location: Dallas A

Moderator:

• Leslie Wilson, Executive Vice President, Global Workplace Initiatives at Disability:IN

Panelists:

• Shirley Eosso, Leader, DEI Compliance & Risk Management at Johnson & Johnson
• Richard Green, Manager – Affirmative Action at BAE Systems
• Shakti Harris, Head, US Inclusion and Diversity at Bayer
• Sarah Hassaine, Global Director of Diversity & Inclusion at ResMed

The pandemic has accelerated a mental health crisis. Accenture estimates that 90% of employees have been touched by mental health challenges, either personally or through someone they are close to. When businesses recognize this and create a culture that supports employees’ mental well-being, employees are more likely to speak openly, know where to go for help or advice, increase their productivity, and are more than twice as likely to love their jobs.

Hosted by: Fidelity Investments

Location: Lone Star Ballroom

Remarks:

• Diana Codispoti, Director of Global Corporate Engagement at Disability:IN
• Dorothy Garcia, Director, Global Disability Equality Index at Disability:IN
• Becky Kekula, Director, Disability Equality Index at Disability:IN

Moderator:

• Camille Chang Gilmore, Vice President Human Resources, Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Boston Scientific

Panelists:

• Ali Cupito, Global Mental Health & Wellness Lead at Accenture
• James Curneal, Creative Account Executive at Discover
• Jo Linda Johnson, Vice President Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Strategy & Equity at Capital One
• Hale Pulsifer, Vice President Customer Accessibility at Fidelity

NextGen: Discover The Future of Work

Unleash the disability advantage and leverage the power of human potential. Now is the time to dive in to the workforce of the future.

Remarks:

• Elaine K.A., VP, Strategy & Communications at Disability:IN
• Megan Lawrence, Global Director Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at NIKE

Moderator:

• Sam Renaut, Manager at Deloitte

Panelists:

• Jacob Hamlin, Sr. Associate at Goldman Sachs
• Jonathan Harmatz, Senior Associate at Bristol Myers Squibb
• Kristen Hayden, Champion Diver
• John McGonagle, Chair, Able & Allies BRG at Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Rachel Velasco, Red Team Operator at Ally Financial

NextGen Innovation Lab

NextGen Innovation Lab hosted by: T-Mobile

NextGen teams will compete to bring bold, game-changing ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and build a world where we all realize our power to create change.

iLab Head Judge:

• Claudia Gordon, Sr. Accessibility Strategy Partner at T-Mobile

iLab Judges:

• Chauncy Barnhill, Operations Director at Wells Fargo
• Ryan Gibson, Engineering Manager at Boeing
• Kerry Stith, Senior Vice President, Accessibility Director at PNC Financial Services

Location: Lone Star Ballroom

Neurodiverse employees are already in the workplace. Hiring programs should acknowledge this fact and create a welcoming, inclusive culture for candidates, and new and existing neurodiverse employees. This session will outline the actions companies have taken to create a safe space that supports, advances, and retains employees who are neurodiverse.

Hosted by: Prudential Financial

Location: Dallas A

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain how-to go beyond hiring to impact neurodiverse employees’ journeys through the workplace.
2. Illustrate how corporate wide training leads to skills to support and develop individuals who are neurodiverse.
3. Describe how to create a safe space where people are comfortable disclosing… or not.

Moderator:

• Jerel Titus, Vice President, Operations at Prudential Financial

Panelists:

• Stephen DeStefani, Diversity & Inclusion Director, Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo
• Natalia Lyckowski, Global Neurodiversity Advancement Leader at IBM
• Jamell Mitchell, Global NCoE Ecosystem Leader at Ernst & Young
• Bettina Thompson, Program Manager, Director for Recruiting and Neurodiveristy – Global Board Amazon PWD Affinity Group at Amazon

Since COVID emerged, work environments have dramatically changed. Some organizations have needed to continue to operate in-person throughout the pandemic, while others are still operating virtually or have implemented hybrid workplaces. Many E/BRGs are instrumental in supporting employees during COVID lockdowns and operate in their evolving workplaces through inclusion building initiatives. Many have also taken advantage of the virtual work environment to expand their E/BRG programming to include employees around the globe. The panelists will share approaches their E/BRGs have utilized to support members and provide useful programming within ever-changing work environments.

Hosted by: Citi

Location: Dallas A

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore tips for ensuring flexible and effective work environments.
2. Take away practical solutions to address virtual meeting fatigue and ensure virtual meetings are accessible.
3. Learn about E/BRG involvement in mental wellness and caregiver support programs that have come to the forefront during COVID.
4. Gain insights into effective inclusive management skills.

Panelists:

• Jax Cowles, Merchandising Coordinator at Gucci
• Adrian Hawkins, Senior Immunology Account Manager at Novartis
• Marie Marquardt, Audit Managing Director at KPMG

During this dinner, Disability:IN will present the 2022 Inclusion Awards and DEI top-scoring companies will be recognized. Stop by early to get a cocktail and take photos!

Performance by Lachi

Lachi is a creative artist, singer, songwriter, inclusion advocate, and Founder of RAMPD who’s released songs with major and international labels and artists, collaborating with some of the biggest names in Dance music. Boasting millions of streams, Lachi’s music has debuted on national charts, aired on TV, radio and film, and has been featured in Billboard, Forbes, NY Times, Hollywood Reporter and Essence to name a few.

Hosted by: Experian

Lachi Performance hosted By: Northrop Grumman Corporation

Emcee:

• Apoorva Gandhi, Senior Vice President, Multicultural Affairs, Social Impact and Business Councils at Marriott International

Remarks:

• Jill Houghton President & CEO at Disability:IN
• Chad Jerdee, Board Chair at Disability:IN and Retired General Counsel at Accenture
• Ted Kennedy, Jr., Partner at Epstein Becker Green, Co-Chair of the Disability Equality Index (DEI), and Board Member at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
• Jay Patel, VP of Programs at Northrop Grumman Corporation

Closing Remarks:

• Liz Taub, Executive Vice President, Programs at Disability:IN

Location: Lone Star Ballroom

Our Inclusion Works companies through the Global Disability Equality Index (GDEI) found that executive leadership and Business/Employee Resource Group Engagement are key to advancing disability inclusion and self-identification around the globe. With a majority of disabilities being non-apparent, learn how corporations are inspiring inclusive cultures by highlighting disabilities as a strength and not a vulnerability.

Hosted By: Comcast

Location: Lone Star Ballroom

• Dorothy Garcia, Director, Global Disability Equality Index at Disability:IN
• Leslie Wilson, Executive Vice President, Global Workplace Initiatives at Disability:IN

Panelists:

• Loren Hudson, Senior Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, Cable at Comcast NBC Universal
• Tricia McCue, Strategic Planning Manager, Sales and Marketing Group & Global Disability/Caregiver ERG Leader at Intel
• Susan Schmitt, Service Management Office Vice President at SAIC
• Russell Shaffer, Senior Director – Global Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Walmart